Turbulent

This company focuses on affordable hydropower. Their designs are inspired by nature and are made for installation in any river, to have zero impact on the local ecosystem.

The company's goal is to provide clean energy to remote, off-grid communities that are both affordable and reliable. They have specially developed a ‘Vortex Turbine’ which can operate at locations on rivers or streams which have a minimum drop of 1 meter. This means that hydropower can be provided by very small rivers, which are too small to use with other systems that produce hydropower. Its simple design and assembly mean that it can be made easily with local materials. The fully autonomous system requires no operator and is cheap, ensuring a sustainable and quick payback time on investment.

This is how the system works:

1. Diverts water away from the stream, to a bypass canal. Gates block large debris from entering the turbine.

2. The passing water makes the turbine rotate slowly, creating a low-pressure vortex.

3. Electricity is generated and water returned to the stream

Image from (Turbulent, 2022)

It can either be one unit or a cluster of turbines that can power an entire region. Each unit can generate up to 70Kw of 24/7 energy.

Their state-of-the-art GIS technology allows them to locate the ideal locations for the turbines. The curved and slowly rotating turbine allows fish / other wildlife to pass through unharmed, in order not to harm the local ecosystem.

Their project claims zero CO2 emissions.

Location map of projects:

Check out some of their youtube videos:

References:

Images and information are taken from their website:

“Eco-Friendly Hydropower for Everyone, Everywhere.” Turbulent, 2022, https://www.turbulent.be/.